Diabetes with a smile–

decisions

I’ve been doing THIS for a long time! You’d thing going out for dinner wouldn’t be a big deal. Ha! MOST OF THE TIME, it isn’t, but if I’m in a funk, I tend to want to eat dessert first —- life is short, after all… When I’m okay (thinking positively), it’s not a problem. Then, there are those days when I convince myself that I’m making much ado about nothing.

“SUGAR BEAST”

Truth. It’s NOT nothing. T2D is not a joke, not something to be dismissed. So, in as much as I want to let that evil Sugar Beast in, I’m NOT going to. Evil *!@#!***

I really think that waaaay back, when I was first diagnosed, I convinced myself that I’d handle this “diabetes nonsense” and move on with my life. How naive was I? I knew then, and I still am acutely aware that Type 2 Diabetes is here to stay, and the harder I fight it, the worse I feel.

I used the word feel, because it isn’t only a physical issue, it’s also an emotional one. That’s the hardest part for me. I’m definitely a “stress eater,” My emotions send my appetite into high gear, when life hits the fan.

We all have choices! For me, making a conscious decision to choose wisely is where it all starts. I need to:

STOP —- Slow down and get a grip

THINK —-What outcome do I want from my decision?

BREATHE —-Deep breaths are imperative in order to stop and think before making an important decision.

Yes, eating that piece of cake is an important choice. It’s trivial to non-diabetics, but for me, it’s imperative to do the right thing. Most of the time, choosing to have dessert is not the end of the world (in my case), but importantly, I don’t want that decision to be the one that sends me over the cliff.

Seriously. I’ve been able to treat my diabetes with diet, exercise, and one medication. Pretty good, I’m told. Here’s the thing — making a lifestyle out of eating the wrong things, lack of exercise, and failing to take my medication properly, WILL send me on the road to insulin. I don’t want that!

I don’t consider taking a little more insulin, or an extra pill, will make it okay for any diabetic to “cheat” on decisions regarding food choices. That’s a game I don’t want to play because, I know that I won’t come out the winner. I’m VERY competitive. If it’s between me and diabetes —- trust me, I’LL WIN! I’ll succeed each and every day, by using the tools that I have.

Lately, I’ve been having difficulty with food choices. Ugh, it’s a killer. But, I’m living one day at a time, one choice at a time, and relief is on it’s way. I feel it. That cloud is starting to lift, if ever so slowly. I’m fighting to be able to follow the healthy road I’ve chosen for myself.

No need to rush —- slowly, carefully, I’m getting back on track. I CAN DO IT — and so can you.

It’s so cliché, but time REALLY does fly. My plan is to make the most — on EVERY level — of 2017. This T2D will beat the hell out of her A1C. 🙂

Cleaning out my refrigerator and freezer is how I started my day. Then, I moved on to food shopping to be sure my cupboards are filled with healthy choices. NO excuses!

I made a batch of sugar-free raspberry Jello, in an effort to be prepared when the sugar beast invades my brain! Sugar-free jello seems to calm “him” down.

“SUGAR BEAST”

I have visions of him “dancing in my head” — NOT “sugar-plum fairies,” the Sugar BEAST! But, it’s okay. I’m prepared to “take care of him” in 2017. BRING IT ON, BEAST! 🙂

Next on my agenda is to create a pot of piping hot Vegetable Barley Soup. It’s threatening to get colder here in the Northeast, and I’ll be ready. I love to make soup and freeze individual portions. It just makes life easier, and the individual portions help to keep my blood sugar levels in check.

Exercise = IMPORTANT

My walking buddy and I conferred and we’re starting 2017 off on the “right foot” (pun intended)! We’ll have to walk the mall, but it really doesn’t matter as long as one foot is planted firmly in front of the other! Walking is the #1 way to lower my blood sugar — works EVERY time.

Monitoring my blood sugar has to be at the top of my list, even though it’s a ROYAL pain in the butt. The bottom line is that I know when I write it down (my definition of “monitoring”), I have a MUCH better chance of staying on track.

Monitor glucose regularly

So, here’s how 2017 is shaking out thus far. I will be keeping on track by following these 5 STEPS:

I’m grateful for the “Doggie Bag.”It helps this Type 2 Diabetic with portion control. If I ask for a container when I order my food, I put half in it as soon as my dinner hits the table. This prevents me from “enjoying” it too much, gives me a meal for the next day and prevents waste. I just wish they wouldn’t use styrofoam containers (Our poor planet!); depending on what I’m eating, I often ask them to wrap it in aluminum foil.

There’s an interesting history behind the proverbial “Doggie Bag.” In many countries, asking for a take-home container is considered vulgar. In the U.S., this practice is commonplace and sometimes applauded — even in fine-dining restaurants. It’s looked at as a way to avoid waste and this is great in helping our environment.

The Eiffel Tower

In Paris, the City of Lights, the practice of taking home leftovers after dining has long been a faux pas. Thanks to the 21st Century, Parisians are finally accepting this practice. A law was passed and went into effect on January 1st., in an effort to cut down on the enormous amount of food waste. The French have replaced the term “le doggy bag” with “le gourmet bag.” 🙂

On the Italian front, the “cartoccio” or Italy’s version of the “doggy bag” is finally being embraced. Combatting food waste has become a priority, as a result of a summit in Italy on global food sustainability.

In my post from last night, I told you about my fears for my daffodils. I was pretty sure what the effect the snow would have on them. 😦 We got about 2 1/2″ of the white stuff; so, not too bad.

THIS was MY vision of Spring, 2016.

FIRST DAY OF SPRING, 2016!

Here’s Mother Nature’s vision…

SECOND DAY OF SPRING, 2016!

Oh, Mother Nature, you have some sense of humor!

Yesterday, I mentioned that salads don’t do it for me in the winter, they just don’t. Here’s my COMMITMENT for today: IF the temperatures live up to the predictions — 50’s, 60’s for the rest of the week — This T2D WILL dive back into my salads!

P R O M I S E!

Blood Sugar: 111 Weight: 147.4 lbs. (Thinking my scale must be broken. NO WAY did I lose that much wait in one day! Will give it a couple of days — to bask in the “denial,” then I’ll buy a new one). 😦

Happy Birthday to those of you who were born during a leap year! (Click on that link to check out the history.) Celebrating one’s birthday every four years seems strange to me. I guess I can’t imagine doing that. How must you feel on March 1st when February 28th was the day before, and there was no recognition of your entry to this planet? Sad? Abandoned? Invisible? I don’t get it.

I have a friend who celebrated her birthday yesterday. She told me that she ALWAYS wished she had been born on the 29th — “A Leap Year birthday is awesome,” she exclaimed! She felt cheated, because the year she was brought into this world was, in fact, a leap year. “One more day! Just one more, and I could feel unique.”

“You’re unique, trust me,” I responded. Still unsure of her logic, I asked, “Why? I don’t understand — you get ripped off with every passing year; no cake, no presents. How can this be a good thing?”

Laughing, she responded, “It’s simple. I’d feel SPECIAL!” she insisted. “Not abandoned or invisible. And by the way,” she smiled, “I know I’d feel younger. Think about it, with each birthday celebration, I could subtract 3 years!”

Not sure her math was accurate, I went with her theory. “I guess LEAPING from one birthday to the next (four years later) has some advantages.” So, to those of you who have that SPECIAL Leap Year Birthday, I hope you had a wonderful time celebrating today! And just think, four years from now you can do it again. 🙂

I digress — moving on to DIABETES! The “LEAP” to which I’m referring, is a bold jump, into making even better choices and a healthier lifestyle. Are you thinking, “Weren’t we working on that already?”

“Yes, we have been, but I’m suggesting that we take a giant LEAP forward in the management of our diabetes. MY LEAP will include: testing more for the next two weeks, watching my patterns more closely,monitoring what goes into my mouth more carefully, paying strict attention to exercising (in my case, walking my butt off). LOGGING ALL OF IT. What a pain in the … Maybe, but this T2D can do it for the next two weeks. I can do that. TWO WEEKS — one day at a time! C’mon…

At the end of my two week marathon of healthier living, I’ll review what I’ve done. If my numbers are better, and I feel more energetic, my plan is to keep going for the rest of the month. When March comes to an end, I’ll determine if I’m committed enough, dedicated enough, to take the LEAP into April with the same regime. I’m counting on ME.

REALLY early this morning, around 1:30 I think, I questioned just how “dedicated” I am to blogging. I mentioned how Bill at “Simple Living Over Fifty” inserts his blood sugar and weight at the end of each post. I was hesitant, thinking of it as a confession of sorts. Nonetheless, I committed to doing it. I expect two things will happen — it will force me to blog daily (or a minimum of 3-4 times a week) and doing this will help to keep me accountable, to myself if no one else.

As promised, I took my blood sugar first thing this morning, made my breakfast and before eating it, (of course!), I hopped on the scale. Quickly, I booted up my laptop and typed into today’s post my blood sugar and weight right away. Pushing my laptop aside, I ate my epicurean delight (using the term loosely), and will finish the blog later on.

This is “later on.”

I’ve been reading a great deal about diabetes lately, Type 2 in particular — books, articles, blogs. My thinking is to immerse myself to the degree that it will all become second nature, again! It was, for many years, but for some reason I’ve been having difficulty. I’m reviewing information that I know, as reinforcement, and filing away what I’m learning, so that it’s there when I need it. This Type 2 diabetic is convinced that this is a good practice. Diabetes certainly is the epitome of life-long learning, and I’m all about that in every area of my life! 🙂

So, as the author of Diary of a Dedicated Diabetic, I’ll be blogging my brains out, learning from others, and letting you know anything new that I learn, along with the “old” pearls of wisdom that help to keep me on track. I’m determined and dedicated!

I was out for most of the day, a conscious decision. I thought I was home free but, at around 4 o’clock, I decided that I’d better buy something in case kids ring my bell later in the evening. Why didn’t I just make plans to go to a movie or something? NO, then I wouldn’t have bought the candy… Obviously, I knew exactly what I was doing. So, off to the store I went. I did buy candy that I really don’t like, with the exception of a bag of Snickers. Truth, I’m not crazy about those either. Anyway, the good news is, I gave the leftovers to a friend who works in a school. Nothing better than sugared-up teenagers! My drug of choice is officially out of the house — good for me. Next year — no candy; just go to a movie!

WHY does it have to be so hard? Do any of you feel like an addict when the topic of junk food comes up? Intellectually, I know sugar is addictive, thus I point to myself as an addict. I have a shelf in a bookcase filled with books on sugar. That the “white stuff” is addictive is not news. Getting and staying off it is really difficult! I’ve read the latest and greatest on the topic, I’ve worked really hard over the years, (and worked not so hard too), but the bottom line is always action, choices, the do’s and don’ts. It always points to back to the basics. Always.

Suicide by Sugar, BY Nancy Appleton, Ph.D.. and G.N. Jacobs, is a book that I bought years ago, the copyright is listed as 2009. It’s pretty clinical. Sugar Shock, BY Connie Bennett, and Stephen Sinatra, M.D., was purchased in 2007, in my quest for answers. I’ve found many answers, but do I follow through ALL of the time? NO. That’s the path of this disease; not unlike alcoholism. It’s a journey that I liken to a roller coaster, for obvious reasons. BUT, I keep on trying. I will not give up, no matter what.

Here’s another tome that brings a smile to my face: Sugar Blues BY William Duffy. I just opened my copy and the pages are yellow; it’s dog-eared and well-worn. This one is copyrighted 1976! [I’ve been at this for a LONG time]. Of all the books I’ve read on SUGAR, this one is the BEST. It’s historical, realistic, and filled with valuable information. Of course, it’s dated (the statistics will not be up-to-date), but trust me, it’s also very 2015. Because it’s a “back-in-the-day” book, seems to prove the point — maybe even more so! I can still relate to it.

Halloween is gone, and as the holidays loom ahead, I will be working on my preparedness. Yes, almost like with a hurricane. Just as a weather disaster swirls and strikes furiously into the lives of people, so do poor choices wreak havoc with diabetics. I’ll be ready, and we’ll be talking about being prepared (for those upcoming holidays) in future blogs.